Animatable doll



P 1960 R. c. MCALLISTER 2,932,125

ANIMA'IIABLE DOLL Filed May 8, 1958 INVENTOR ROBERT CHARLES MCALLiSTER M M 7i ATTORNEY5 ANIMATABLE DOLL Robert C. McAllister, Norfolk, Va.

Application May 8, 1958, Serial No. 733,857

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-454) This invention relates to an animatable character, that is to say, a puppet or a doll-like figure grotesquely approximating the hum-an form. More particularly, the invention relates to an animatable character suitable for use by professional ventriloquists in connection with television, or other programs for mass entertainment, as well as for use by amateur ven'triloquists, and other individuals, for private entertainment. a

it is the object of this invention to provide a new and improved animatable character capable of being manipulated and maneuvered to present a wide variety of expressions and positions grotesquely approximating various human reactions and activities.

This and other objects of the present invention will become more'apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

The invention may best be-understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the entire doll;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the doll;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view taken in perspective illustrating the head of the doll being operatively manipulated by a human hand; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that a doll embodying this inventibn consists of a head portion generally indicated at and a limbed body portion generally indicated at 12. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the body portion is formed of fabric with conventional stuffing and has arms and legs with the feet'and hands roughly approximated, although, as will be apparent from the description following hereafter, it is within the contemplation of the invention that the limbs/i body portion could have more or less detail in its approximation of the human form, depending upon the specific utilization of the doll. In any event, the addition of specific details to the limbed body portion is well-known and is, therefore, entirely within the scope and contemplation of the present invention.

As is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the head portion is formed with two generally hemispherical elements 14 and 16 respectively placed one above the other and disposed in face-to-face relationship. While these elements have just been described as being generally hemispherical, it will be noted that in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the edges thereof are both interiorly 1'7 and exteriorly' 13 flanged so that the material thereof extends both radially inward from the interior and radially outward from the exterior, with the end effect that the edge surfaces are of considerably greater thickness than the portions of the respective elements immediately adjacent thereto.

Each of the generally hemispherical elements has an integral central axially extending projection 22 formed thereon. As is best illustrated 'in Fig. 3, each of these projections, in the preferred embodiment, is counterbored at 24, and with the counterbore having side walls defining threads 26.

Each of the hemispherical elements 14 and 16 is formed of rubber, or some synthetic approximation thereof, or some other similar flexible material, with the relation between the size of the hemispheres, and the thickness of its walls, with the characteristics of the particular flexible material being used such that each of the hemispheres will, when being freed'from external forces, assume the relaxed position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

It will now be understood that when the two hemispherical elements 14 and 16 are placed in face-to-face relationship, and a limbed body element 12 is attached, as by tacks 30 (Fig. 3), with the lowermost projection 22, the overall visual effect will be that of a grotesque human doll.-

The flanged edge portions of the respective hemispherical elements 14, 16 represent the upper and lowerlips of a human and the upper -hemispherical element 14 is provided with a nose element 34 and eye elements 36 to heighten this effect. The nose element may be of any desired shape, either simulating or parodying the human nose, as in the preferred embodiment, wherein the nose is formed by a rubber ball. Similarly, the eye elements 36 may either simulate or parody the human eyes, as in the preferred embodiment, wherein the eyes are formed of round rubber discs secured to the hemispherical element 14. The eye elements 36 can be painted or otherwise decorated to approximate or parody any of a number of expressions or impressions.

While it is within the contemplation of this invention that the upper and lower hemispherical elements 14 and 16 respectively can remain free from one another, in the preferred embodiment illustrated they are joined one to the other by a ring 40 extending through suitable apertures 42 in the respective hemispherical elements. These apertures are located in a position diametrically opposed to that of the nose element 34, that is to say, to the rear of the face of the doll. The ring 40 is of relatively small diameter compared with that of the hemispherical elements and is therefore completely hidden from the viewer when the doll is viewed directly from the front. In a preferred embodiment, this ring is of metal but, as is obvious, it may be formed of any suitable material. Moreover, it should be carefully noted that it is within the contemplation of this invention that if the hemispheres 14, 16 are to be joined together, some other suitable means of attachment can be used.

The manner in which the head portion may be manipulated and maneuvered to present a wide variety of expressions and facial positions is illustrated in Fig. 4. Only one such expression or facial position is shown, but it will be obvious that inasmuch as the hemispherical elements 14, 16 have been described as being made of rubber or similar material, any of an infinite variety of expressions and facial positions can be assumed by the doll, depending entirely upon the nature and extent of the forces exerted thereon by the fingers of the human hand.

In practice, such as when the animatable doll is being used on a television program, a black velvet backdrop is used and the manipulating human hand is gloved in velvet, or some other material which does not reflect light, so that the activity of the hand is virtually invisible to the viewer, and the doll appears to assume its various expressions spontaneously.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it will be obvious that in some cases theupper projection 22 may be. eliminated and further, that in some cases the projections 22 need not be counterbored or interiorly threaded. However, it will be apparent that the upper projection may be useful for attaching hats ,.wigs and other. paraphernalia to the head and that in some cases it may be desirable. to attach such a headcovering by means of a male screw thread formed to engage the interior threads 26 of the projection. Similarly, in some cases it may be desirable to attach the limbed body portion 12 by a screw connection with the interior threads 26 of the lower projection 22 rather than by means of tacks, ashas been described hereinabove.

It will be understood thatthe elements, covered by the claims, typify any substantial equivalent means capable ofbeinglused for thesame purpose.

I claim:

1. An animatable doll comprising a head portion and a limbed body portion, said head portion being hollow and formed of flexible material and comprising a pair of separate generally hemispherical elements disposed in face-to-face relationship. with one above the other, each of said elements having flanged edge portions of substantially greater thickness than the portions adjacent thereto, each said flange portion defining a plane when the. flexible material is related, said flanged edge portions defining the mouth of said doll, nose and eye means disposed upon and secured. to the exterior of the hemispherical element defining the portion of the head above the mouth thereof;

2. An animatable doll comprising a head portion and a limbed body portion, said head portion being hollow and formed of flexible material and comprising a pair of separate generally hemispherical elements disposed in faceto-face relationship with one above the other, each of said elements having its edge portions forming a flange extending radially outward from the exterior surface thereof, said flanged edge portions defining the mouth of said doll, nose and eyemeans disposed upon and secured to the exterior of the hemispherical element defining the portion of the head above the mouth thereof.

3. An animatable doll comprising a head portion and a limbed body portion, said head portion being hollow and formed of flexible material and comprising a pair of separate generally hemispherical elements disposed in face-toface relationship with one above the other, each of said elements having its edge portions forming a flange extending radially outward from the exterior surface thereof, each of said elements having its edge portion forming a flange extending radially inward from the interior thereof, said flanged edge portions defining the mouth of said doll, nose and eye means disposed upon and secured to the exterior of the hemispherical element defining the portion of the head above the mouth thereof.

References Cited in the'file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 820,067 Richardson May 8, 1906 2,571,744 Midouhas Oct. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 300,581 Great Britain May 30, 1929 

